Halloween

Hey have a look at the gorgeous bunch of Halloween revellers!

We all look a bit serious here....probably worrying about Tracee's brain falling out...or her eye sliding off her head!! You can't see the top of Tracee's head....it was bandage and brains!!

we had spooky food....I tried to make spooky eyes but they came out like boobs instead! Lol! At least people still ate them!

Tracee made some amazing cupcakes

Donna found some real Halloween lollies from the American shop....

and Carol pondered on the placement of her blocks...she had started work on this project ages ago and now has come back to it . The room we meet in has been renovated and now is the Maternal Health offices in the day, so now we have a comfy couch to sit on if we want to!

Happy Sewing!

Walking the dog

Today we decided to take a trip up to Ballarat and take the dog for a walk around the lake. It looks wonderful (the lake) being full of water but it was very cold - felt like the wind was coming off the snow somewhere....

..we headed off this way....

...saw Mum swan and the babies on our travels..the babies are so cute!!

...and believe it or not I was walking with DH and the dog but they disappeared from sight when I stopped to take a photo...we are walking not sight seeing apparently!! lol!! Ah well!!!!

I have finished 2 mug rugs for Sylvia my friend who now lives in Ballarat so dropped one off today...especially for the run up to Christmas...no worries Shez you are safe this time!!

this one I posted up last week. Was very happy with this one! 

Happy sewing!

FINISHED!!! (well except for the label) LOL!!

Yahoo!!!! Binding is done!!!

Happy sewing!!

Happy purchase

I was up at Kerry's (Black Forest Quilting) collecting the hexie quilt in the week and found this

a children's cot quilt...ready cut, has front, back and wadding all ready to go...even the edges have been cut, so all you have to do is the diagonal stitching, then join the blocks together! How good is that??

all the bits together.....

and the binding is going on the hexie quilt beautifully!!

Happy sewing!

Learning curve!

Well yesterday I trimmed the edges of the hexie quilt and got it ready to bind, then I found 2 half hexies were missing on one side so unpicked two from the trimmings and hand sewed then on, don't know if that is the right way to do these things but it is now done! Then I discovered some of the stitching on the hexies on the edge were coming undone! Mmmmmm.....not impressed with that!

Gaps in the hexies!

stitching extra bits on to fill the gap!

this seam must have come undone when the quilt  top was stretched tight for quilting..

a very heavy rain shower passed over as I was sitting sewing

I am hoping all the loose bits are fixed as I am now onto sewing on the binding...YAY!!!! I had to move the sewing machine to the kitchen bench so I had the room to manage the quilt...it is 84 x 88 inches so is heavy and takes up a lot of space.....to be honest I need to tidy up my sewing desk but I think it was easier to sew here. Just as I finished a most amazing rainbow appeared outside the window, it was only about 1km away, I don't think I have seen one that close before

Isn't that amazing? Sometimes nature does the most beautiful things when you least expect it! Off to do some more sewing now!

Happy sewing!!

 

 

5000 poppies

Today I found this when I was looking around...people making poppies either crochet, knitting or felting...they are going to be displayed at Fed. Square for Remembrance Day this year and then on ANZAC Day in 2015 (That is the 100th Anniversary of ANZAC Day). Think I might have to get out the needles and wool and participate in this one!

Don't they look amazing? Gives you itchy fingers doesn't it!!!
Happy sewing!

Tee Hee!!

I have been sitting here giggling to myself....my birthday present to me arrived in the post today

I am so happy with it, love it to bits!! It was made by Carol Turznik you can find her here. I am number 61 in her portrait series. Tee Hee!!

Happy sewing!

Finishes

Two items finished and in the  mail today - it is a wonderful feeling!

Halloween wall hanging done! Yay!!

Tumbling Charms done! Yay!! And on their way to their new homes!
Happy sewing!

Problem resolved

Well I have been trying to make a blog entry and have had to wait and wait and wait..........it took forever just to get the blog up let alone do a post......so yesterday I had a look at our internet usage and lo and behold.....now that No 1 son is home all the months allowance was gone and we are only part way through the month! So today I had to gather all my patience in both hands and get on the phone to Telstra and see what we could do. I got a really lovely helpful lady and we are now all fixed up ........well it should be all happening by Thursday, but she has put our usage back to zero so we can get faster access again! I am impressed!!!
But enough of that.......this is what happens when you go away for a weekend....you could come home to this.....

furniture outside....

dining area in disarray...

nearly empty room......yes DH has decided to paint the lounge dining area!! Could be like this for several days! 

FNSI

Well, I had very good intentions on getting heaps of stitching done last night, but by the time I got home, fiddled around a bit, made a sea food dinner for DH and a vege dinner for son No 1, and then thought mmmm...what am I having, and got that cooked it was 8.30pm!! Where does the time vanish to!! Then I got involved in a TV programme while eating dinner and boy it was hard to get off the couch and do something!! Lazy bones huh!!! But I did trace off two stitcheries and make a start on one

this one is so cute and is from Red Brolly

and this one is from the book Tea with Friends by Bronwyn Hayes. Love this book!!

Happy sewing!

FNSI

And as tomorrow is Friday and all is reactively calm in the house ( I hope!!) I will be happily joining in

Off now to choose what I will be doing!!

Happy sewing!

Progress

I am making headway with both the Tumbling charms quilt and the Halloween wall hanging

love the detail that pops up when you do the free range quilting on my secret project!!

binding on the Halloween wall hanging....hand sewing to be done....

reverse of the secret project FRQ

and now the binding is on the tumbling charms quilt, ready for hand sewing...so I have plenty to keep me busy!!  Happy sewing.

Sunday sewing

Well I have finally made it back to the sewing machine...I had a really good book and that HAD to be finished so I knew what happened!! So this afternoon I have been free range quilting on.....

...no not the dog, but he has been supervising then he left me for the comfort of the chair!!

this is a secret project for a swap so can only show a little bit for now

and this is another Halloween wall hanging to go to Jenny in New Zealand....between Tania and I , we will decorate the whole house!!  I have finished the FRQ, not have to sew in all the endy bits, and then we are on to binding....yay the end is in sight!!  Happy sewing!

Orangutans

I had a great afternoon out yesterday with Marg at a trivia afternoon organised by an amazing 10 year old boy Keegan.....he did all the organising.....wrote letters to companies and was given lots of palm oil free products for the raffle and prizes...got up and spoke to everyone there....he was wonderful! We had a fun afternoon...couldn't answer many questions though! Lol!!

Here we are manning or "wommaning" should I say, the Australian Orangutan Project stall, we sold lots of soft toys and stubbie holders!  Yay!!

Gearing up for the close up photo!!

Marg in her uniform! Concentrating on a question I think!

And.....Marg won first prize in the raffle!! I didn't have the camera out so I didn't get a photo of her happy dance!! Lol!!  We had a great afternoon, we were made very welcome and everyone was really friendly and Keegan raised over $1000 for the orangutans. He did a wonderful job!

Cooking,cooking.....

Each Friday at work we have morning tea provided (known as Fat Friday) by a particular group of people....and I am in the group who provides for tomorrow...so I thought it would be a good idea to do some baking to take along....not being a baker I didn't realise how long these things take! But I slaved away and ended up with

raspberry and yogurt cake...the three taste testers here today have given it the thumbs up...good to know when you try something new!!

banana bread...perfect for using up the bananas that have gone to the dark side and no one will touch them, let alone eat them!!

and cherry slice....a big lot of sweet goodness....chocolate, coconut, condensed milk, glase cherries, copha...mmmm....not the healthiest slice but at least it is only once a term!!

and at the risk of being given a hard time by Marg and Tania I have rearranged my hexies in to a new storage box! This way as I do 6 of one colour I can put it with a yellow hexie and they are ready to be made into a flower...just have to make some more yellow ones for the plan to work!! Lol!! I just like looking at the colours, It is interesting how at the moment the colours seem to be mostly blues and purples.  Happy sewing!

Hi Hip Hooray!!!

Today quilt being fixed, has gone to the quilters!!!! Yay!!!!

My assistant helped with the backing.....NOT.....but now it is all done and delivered! Now we wait to see what it comes out like. Kerry is going to do a meander all over!!

Meanwhile back at the ranch, after I had been outside trying to dig out more cape weed....a never ending job and one I will not win I know, but I have to try!!!, I continued sewing. But.....

how come the bunnies, and there are heaps of them, don't eat the cape weed???? That would be helpful, but then I guess they poop out the seeds and maybe that would encourage more to grow?? So maybe not so helpful!!

Anyway, I have made a Halloween sandwich,and two others I can't show yet...they are for a swap and secret! the Halloween wall hanging is going to Jenny in New Zealand...she will be Halloweened out by the time Tania and I have finished! lol!

trimmed off the baby quilt,

cut the fabric for the binding,

and started some batty free range quilting!!! Busy but happy afternoon! Happy sewing!